I never asked Amitabh
to leave Maharashtra: Raj11 April , 2008. Superstar
Amitabh Bachchan has spoken out in strong words against those who criticise
him for being an outsider in Mumbai.

In an interview to the Mumbai
Mirror, Bachchan says, ''I am not leaving this city and going anywhere.
Let them burn my effigies and conduct morchas in front of my house. Let
them blacken my film posters and stop screening of my films. Let them attack
me with stones and laathis. Let them abuse me in the print and electronic
media. Let them implicate me in false cases. I am not budging.''

Bachchan went on to say,
''I am not an outsider by any stretch of imagination. This land is my land
as much as it is of every other citizen of our beloved country. I came
to Mumbai in 1968 to pursue a vocation. I did not need a visa to come here.''

The actor has come under
severe attack from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers and a section
of the Shiv Sena.

They criticise him for not
doing enough for Maharashtra. Two months ago, remarks by MNS chief Raj
Thackeray sparked a series of riots against the north Indians in the state.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
chief Raj Thackeray who had spearheaded the campaign against the north
Indians, including Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, on Friday said that
he had never asked the actor to leave Maharashtra.

Raj's clarifications comes
in the wake of Bachchan's comments three days ago that he was not an outsider
in Mumbai and that he would not leave the city.

Raj was addressing the employees
of an airline here.

Raj launched an attack on
Bachchan more than two months ago when he said at a public rally that Bachchan
was taking more interest in his home town Uttar Pradesh than Maharashtra
which made him a superstar.